September 19 Science Symposium showcases undergraduate research of 59 students
On Friday, September 19, science students at the University of Richmond will present the results of their summer research to faculty, peers and community members at the University’s Science Symposium, which is sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The Science Symposium showcases the work students have completed while conducting scientific research. From 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., 55 students will give 41 poster presentations in the Gottwald Science Center’s Atrium. Beginning at 4:45 p.m., four students, Crystal Richardson, Gabriela Timoney, Evan Wang and Diomedes Saldana Greco, will each give 15-minute oral presentations on their research in Gottwald A00l.
Dr. Michael Summers, professor of structural biology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will give the symposium’s keynote address at 7:15 p.m. in Gottwald A001. His talk is titled, “New insights into the mechanisms that retroviruses use to assemble and package their genomes.”
Summers has determined the structure of several isolated protein components that make up HIV-1, the retrovirus that causes AIDS. By studying those proteins’ interactions, Summers is hopeful that he and his research team can design new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of AIDS.
The University is committed to inviting as many students as possible to live on campus each summer, engaging in independent research with a faculty mentor. In 2008, 163 students received research fellowships—the majority of whom were students interested in science-based research.
Two of the University’s largest sources for undergraduate research grants are the School of Arts & Sciences and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences won the University’s first HHMI grant for $900,000 in 2004. Their application focused on encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and research in the sciences. The School received its second grant, for $1.4 million, in 2008 to continue funding undergraduate research initiatives and to support the creation and implementation of a new course in integrated quantitative science.
Posted August 29, 2008